


new empires in rags: five things about the d.gray-man high school alternate universe.

by warfare



Series: D.Gray-Man High School Alternate Universe [1]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-10
Updated: 2008-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-19 04:45:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/197046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warfare/pseuds/warfare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It hangs in the air like a school cheer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	new empires in rags: five things about the d.gray-man high school alternate universe.

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a larger alternate universe that I've no doubt I will add to. This is completely self-indulgent and I don't expect anyone to read it or care about it but me. Shamelessly inspired by [this piece of fanart](http://www010.upp.so-net.ne.jp/zepet/ss.jpg) and "[My Rights Versus Yours](http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y2IX9IJE)" by the New Pornographers.

**1.**  
They were all in the same club together in middle school, so when Allen and Lenalee get to high school they fall into the pattern of seeing Lavi and Kanda with the ease of someone who has practiced something until it's second nature. Even Kanda and Allen's bickering, glaring daggers at each other from across the desk during a break between classes, is familiar. They spend many of their afternoons with Li-sensei in the nurse's office. Komui is annoying sometimes and cries when he's heard rumors that Lenalee got confessed to again, but he gives them tea and listens to Lavi. None of them make a move to join the high school equivalent of their middle school club.

 **2.**  
The day that they switch their uniforms, out of the entire student body it is only Allen and Lavi who forget and wear the winter version. Lenalee is sure that Allen genuinely forgot, and his bewildered expression as he walks into the classroom to discover that he is the only one wearing a blazer makes her smile in spite of herself.

Kanda is convinced, watching Lavi get needled by his classmates and bemoaning his mistake loudly, that he did it on purpose, just for the attention.

 **3.**  
No one remembers at this point who nominated Kanda for class representative; it was probably the teacher, who saw a serious, unamused face in a classroom full of laughing kids and assumed that that denoted responsibility. As class rep, Kanda vacillates wildly between not being willing to be bothered and inflicting violent retribution on those who don't seriously write their future goals down in clear, readable kanji (later retribution also extends to people who write their characters wrong or use too much hiragana). Within a month he has earned the nickname "the demon lord of 3-C", although no one calls him that to his face. It's the first time that Lavi is genuinely glad not to have been put in the same class as him.

Down two floors, class representative Lenalee Li collects surveys from her classmates with the cool calm of someone who is suited for leadership.

 **4.**  
Everyone in their class takes Allen lightly most of the time, but soon after he enrolls there is a significant increase in the number of people who bring their own lunch. No one wants to have to fight him for the last curry-pan. Not after last time.

 **5.**  
Allen wonders, sometimes, how Kanda got into their school. His grades are average, Allen supposes, but somehow it's hard to picture Kanda sitting down and taking an entrance exam. Lavi's the opposite way; his grades are also about average, but it's an issue of focus, not intelligence, and Allen's sure that if he had wanted, Lavi could probably gotten into a pretty prestigious college feeder school.

When Allen asks Lenalee how she thinks Kanda got in, she smiles like she knows a secret and says, "You know, Allen-kun, when Kanda-kun decides on something, even if he isn't good at studying, I think you'd be impressed at what he can accomplish!"

That answer does nothing but confuse Allen, but because he doesn't have anyone else to ask, he asks Lavi. The sun is setting and they're getting their street shoes out, and Allen says as if he's just thought of it,

"Hey, Lavi, are you taking any college entrance exams?" When he sees Lavi's questioning look, he waves his hands, clarifying, "I mean, I was just thinking, you're really good at test-taking, and you could probably get in wherever you wanted, but I was wondering why you chose to come here instead of somewhere else..." Lavi's face breaks into a grin, like he's heard something gut-wrenchingly funny but doesn't want to laugh out loud.

"Hmmm, I wonder..." shoving his indoor shoes into his cubby, he makes a face that Allen knows means that he wants to look like he's thinking about his answer. "I guess you could say, like... college'll come or it won't, and it's a question of priorities?"

"Priorities?"

"I'm leaving," Kanda's voice is tinged with annoyance and rings through the doorway.

"Ahhhh, Yuu, wait up!" Lavi calls out after him, shoving his feet into his street shoes. Turning to Allen, he pats him on the head, handing him a folded up sheet of paper and saying, "Anyway, do good on your homework and study hard! Do your best, I'll see you tomorrow!" Running out the door, he hops onto the back of Kanda's bike with ease, cooing, "Yuu, c'mon, give me a ride, I don't live that far from you, we can go home together~” The bike wobbles but doesn't crash; both the vehicle and the rider are used to uninvited guests.

Allen watches the two of them ride away together, clutches his schoolbag to him, and unfolds the paper Lavi has given him. It's his latest English exam; the first half is filled in perfectly, but the second half is answered entirely in French. Toward the bottom are pencil doodles of what look like Allen and Lenalee and maybe a rainbow and a red-inked "Lavi, come to the teacher's lounge after class."


End file.
